AIM: The purpose of this study was to develop a revised version of the Brief Bedside Dysphagia Screening Test for determining penetration/aspiration risk in patients prone to dysphagia. The priority was to achieve high sensitivity and negative predictive value. METHODS: The study screeners conducted bedside assessment of the swallowing function in 157 patients with a neurological (mainly stroke) or an ear, nose, and throat diagnosis (mainly head and neck cancer). The results were compared with a gold standard, flexible endoscopic examination of swallowing. RESULTS: For the neurological subgroup (N = 106), eight statistically significant bedside assessment items were combined into the Brief Bedside Dysphagia Screening Test-Revised (BBDST-R). Cut-off score 1 produced the highest sensitivity (95.5%; 95% confidence interval CI [CI]: 84.9-98.7%) and negative predictive value (88.9%; 95% CI 67.2-96.9%). CONCLUSION: The BBDST-R is suitable for dysphagia screening in departments caring for patients with neurological conditions. and P. Mandysová, E. Ehler, J. Škvrňáková, M. Černý, I. Bártová, A. Pellant
Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) is a rare disorder characterized by muscle stiffness and painful spasms. Misdiagnosis may occur due to the fact that the clinical picture of SPS is often atypical. The main pathophysiologic mechanism underlying the development of SPS is insufficient inhibition at the cortical and spinal levels. There is good evidence for a primary autoimmune etiology. A 61-year-old man was admitted to a neurological department due to muscle hypertonia with episodic attacks of painful spasms predominantly affecting axial muscles. The symptoms developed shortly after tickborne meningoencephalitis. Electromyography (EMG) revealed signs of continuous motor unit activity. Antibodies against glutamate decarboxylase (anti-GAD) were highly elevated. We present a case of a man who developed clinically severe anti-GAD positive SPS, provoked by tick-borne encephalitis. After therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) a rapid, temporary improvement of the clinical and neurophysiological findings was noted. Only after being placed on long-term immunosuppression did the patient achieve stable recovery. This case supports the importance of EMG findings and demonstrates the effect of TPE as well as the need for chronic immunosuppression in severe cases of SPS., Edvard Ehler, Jan Latta, Petra Mandysová, Jana Havlasová, Milan Mrklovský, and Literatura 22
Cíl: Přesnost screeningových škál pro vyhledávání pacientů s rizikem vzniku dekubitů byla u nás dosud zkoumána jen okrajově. Cílem bylo navázat na pilotáž zabývající se inter-rater reliabilitou (shodou mezi posuzovateli) Škály Bradenové (ŠB) a zjistit shodu mezi dvěma posuzovateli u většího vzorku respondentů. Metodika: Dva posuzovatelé nezávisle na sobě hodnotili 60 pacientů hospitalizovaných s neurologickým onemocněním pomocí ŠB. Celková skóre (max. 23 bodů) byla dichotomizována (riziko versus absence rizika) dle doporučeného cut-off skóre (18 bodů). Inter-rater reliabilita byla vyjádřena pomocí koeficientu kappa (κ), a to pro dichotomizovaná celková skóre i pro skóre v jednotlivých položkách škály. Výsledky: Koeficient κ byl pro dichotomizovaná celková skóre 0,564 (95% konfidenční interval [KI] = 0,182; 0,946). V jednotlivých položkách škály byl κ následující: „smyslové vnímání“ 0,557 (95% KI = 0,306; 0,808); „vlhkost“ 0,454 (95% KI = 0,142; 0,766); „aktivita“ 0,613 (95% KI = 0,425; 0,801); „mobilita“ 0,091 (95% KI = – 0,127; 0,309); „výživa“ 0,283 (95% KI = 0,095; 0,471); a „tření a střih“ 0,554 (95% KI = 0,240; 0,868). Závěr: Inter-rater reliabilita dichotomizovaných celkových skóre byla střední úrovně (κ = 0,564). V položce „aktivita“ lze shodu mezi posuzovateli považovat za poměrně dobrou (κ = 0,613); v ostatních položkách však byla nižší. Jsou prezentovány faktory, které mohly tyto výsledky ovlivnit., Aim: The accuracy of the screening scales for identification of patients who are at risk of developing pressure sores has, so far, received only marginal attention in the Czech Republic. The aim was to extend a pilot study that focused on inter-rater reliability of the Braden Scale and to determine inter-rater reliability for a larger patient sample. Methods: Two raters performed independent assessments of 60 patients hospitalized with a neurological disease, using the Braden Scale. Total scores (max. 23 points) were dichotomized (at risk versus not at risk) using the recommended cut-off score (18 points). Using the kappa (κ) coefficient, inter-rater reliability was expressed for the dichotomized total scores as well as for scores obtained for each category of the scale. Results: For the dichotomized total results, the κ coefficient was 0.564 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.182; 0.946). For the individual categories, the κ coefficient was as follows: “sensory perception” 0.557 (95% CI = 0.306; 0.808); „moisture“ 0.454 (95% CI = 0.142; 0.766); „activity“ 0.613 (95% CI = 0.425; 0.801); „mobility“ 0.091 (95% CI = – 0.127; 0.309); „nutrition“ 0.283 (95% CI = 0.095; 0.471); and „friction and shear“ 0.554 (95% CI = 0.240; 0.868). Conclusion: For the dichotomized total scores, moderate inter-rater reliability (κ = 0.564) was obtained. For the category “activity”, the inter-rater reliability was quite good (κ = 0.613); for other categories, it was lower. Factors that may have affected the results are discussed., Petra Mandysová, Jana Pechová, Edvard Ehler, and Literatura